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Brawl Stage of the Week: Classic DK
This week we're featuring another classically themed stage, as the thought of creating retro levels on Brawl seems to fuel stage submissions. This one in particular is an interpretation of the original Donkey Kong arcade game, in which Mario made his first appearance as Jumpman.Unfortunately, Donkey Kong won't be throwing barrels at you and there are no princesses that need saving. However, if you want a fun brawl on a nostalgia-inducing stage, check out "Classic DK" by blu_j.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/12-5/18
The new kid on the Japanese Wii software block last week was Battalion Wars 2, which faired well enough in its debut to hit the top ten. Will it stay there? Our guess is no, sadly. Still, it's nice to see the game get some recognition in Japan.Once again, the only non-Nintendo title for the Wii that made the top thirty was Deca Sports, which dropped thirteen spots from the week before. Ouch. We're not sure what made Japan fall so out of love with Deca Sports in one week, but the game seems to have lost some of its legs. Smash Bros. Brawl also took a spill, falling from tenth place to nineteenth.The other noticeable drop was Mario Kart Wii, which only fell one spot, but an important spot -- from first to second -- and finally succumbed to the frightening power of Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. Hardware was also a PSP victory, as the handheld beat all other systems by a convincing margin. Now that you've seen the hardware numbers, check past the break for the software sales.
Brawl Stage of the Week: Metroid revisited
This week we were feeling nostalgic, and nobody's stages sate such cravings as well as Anthony's do. Therefore, we decided to go with another one of his creations. Simply titled "Metroid," this level recreates the look and feel of one our favorite NES classics. In this side-by-side comparison, you can see how well Anthony captured the essence of the original Metroid.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/5-5/11
The gap between Wii and PSP sales is slowly but surely decreasing, making us wonder if the Wii might be able to overtake Sony's handheld once the Monster Hunter hype dies down: PSP: 89,884 Wii: 67,308 Nintendo DS: 51,228 PlayStation 3: 8,054 PlayStation 2: 7,464 Xbox 360: 1,298 Yet, the true triumph for the Wii last week was in software. Nintendo scored big all-around, but the Wii claimed six of the top ten spots in the chart. Keep in mind, though, that all the Wii games that made it to the top thirty are first-party titles, with the exception of Deca Sports.In other news, Smash Bros. Brawl managed to hop up five spots, showing us that it won't be disappearing any time soon. Meanwhile, Mario Kart is inching nearer to Brawl's total sales, making it a close race between the two games. To see how they're currently fairing against each other, just click past the break.
Brawl Stage of the Week: Another Castle
The stage we picked this week is called "Another Castle," made by Wii Fanboy reader Logan C. Oldschool Mario fans, take note of the stage's name -- it's a reference. But even if you don't find any princesses here, you can at least find a fun Brawl experience. Just read on past the break to download the castle and learn more about it.
Sakurai to spill beans on what makes games fun
The obvious choice aside, we can't think of many game designers who are better qualified than Masahiro Sakurai to discuss how to make fun videogames. Which is a good job, really, because the Smash Bros. and Kirby creator has been booked by DiGRA, Japan's Digital Games Research Association, to deliver a talk on what makes games enjoyable.Don't go getting excited, though. Sakurai's speech, entitled 'Game-ness,' will be delivered at the Fukutake Hall Running Theatre at Tokyo University's Hongo campus, and to an audience of only 150 people. If by some chance you are located near to the venue, know that DiGRA members get in free, while student non-members pay ¥500 (roughly $5) and all other non-members ¥1000 (approx $10).We wonder what games he'll use to convey his message? Bringing up Brawl or Kirby might seem a little conceited, but those are two of the titles we would use.[Via Develop]
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/28-5/4
Ah, remember Link's Crossbow Training? The game that was bundled with the Wii Zapper last November (December, for PALs)? It was only released in Japan last week. If sales are any indication, though, Japanese gamers were clamoring for the goron-junk shooter rail shooter, as it claimed the third place spot.Even so, Link had to hail to the king (baby), as Mario Kart Wii still dominated the charts. The other big news for Mario Kart Wii? It passed one million sales in the Far East, denoting its success. Meanwhile, Deca Sports clamored back into the top ten, but Brawl only slipped further downward, thus answering our question from last week. Also proving that the Japanese love their sports games for the Wii, Bandai Namco's Pro Baseball Family Stadium debuted at spot twenty.The Wii triumphed in hardware last week as well. While the console continues to trail behind Sony's handheld, Wii sales went up almost 30,000 units from last week -- perhaps from the Link's Crossbow boost. Go on and check things out for yourself after the break, if you feel so inclined.
Brawl Stage of the Week: It's Tetris time
Last week we mentioned that we wanted to feature a DS-related stage. Reader Chris stepped up and sent us two Tetris levels, one of which we chose to feature.Called "Sziltoj 2," this stage is meant to represent "a Tetris game in progress," according to Chris. Considering the limited amount of tools that you're given in the stage builder, we think he pulled this off pretty well. Come check out how after the break!
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/21-4/27
Mario Kart Wii continues to top the charts in Japan, but a lot of movement happened with the Wii's other software. Because a bunch of new games came out last week, Wii Sports, Deca Sports, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl were all knocked out of the top ten. We know that Wii Sports will return to top ten fame soon enough, since it always does, but we'll be interested to see whether the other two titles can pull that off as well.On the hardware side of things, the Wii got sandwiched by the two portables as it jumped up into second place: PSP: 92,411 Wii: 48,796 Nintendo DS: 42,435 PlayStation 3: 9,107 PlayStation 2: 7,108 Xbox 360: 1,283 To see the software sales, just bring your super smooth moves past the break.
Brawl Stage of the Week: The Web
Welcome to Nintendo Wii Fanboy's Brawl Stage of the Week feature, in which we showcase some of our favorite Smash Bros. Brawl stages. We'll have some themed weeks, some contest weeks, and some "whatever we damn well please" weeks to help you keep your Brawl experience fresh. This week we're featuring a completely original stage, made by SoshiKitai. Called "The Web," Soshi considers this one his masterpiece -- and we can see why. The picture doesn't really translate how fun and crazy this stage actually is. In fact, "The Web" is so massive that not even the warp star trick can fully capture it. Luckily, you can experience it for yourself by downloading it here, but check on after the break for some more details on the stage and instructions on how to play it.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/14-4/20
The Wii had a good week in Japan, as far as sales are concerned. With Mario Kart Wii continuing to champion the cause, the little white console almost nabbed second place in hardware: PSP: 85,421 Nintendo DS: 44,551 Wii: 44,241 PlayStation 3: 7,438 PlayStation 2: 6,545 Xbox 360: 1,076 Even in software, five of the top ten games were Wii titles. Wii Sports found its way back into the coveted ten once again, managing to coexist peacefully with Hudson's Deca Sports. Wii Play, meanwhile, performed the worst in relation to the rest of the Wii games in the top thirty, but still ended up in spot twelve.Check after the break to see just how well Mario Kart Wii did last week in Japan.
Super Chart Bros. Brawl
This just in: Super Smash Bros. Brawl sold a lot. That's an observation that is neither new or particularly exciting, but put it in graph form and Brawl's phenomenal success is capable of wowing us all over again.At first glance, we presumed those blue bars represented the first month sales of all three Smash games in the U.S. But no: those are lifetime sales of Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee respectively, while the red bar is Brawl's first month sales. That's right: in its opening month alone, Brawl not only bypassed the lifetime sales of the first title in the franchise, but has already reached 70% of its predecessor's all-time sales. Our flabbers? Consider them gasted.[Update -- incorrect link removed]%Gallery-16727%
Brawl Stage of the Week: Super Mario World
Welcome to Nintendo Wii Fanboy's "Stage of the Week" feature, in which we showcase some of our favorite Smash Bros. Brawl stages. We'll have some themed weeks, some contest weeks, and some "whatever we damn well please" weeks to help you freshen up your Brawl experience.This week's featured Brawl stage offers a generous serving of nostalgia. Although we're sure it won't be the last classic game scene that we'll showcase here, we chose this as the first because of the creativity and execution that went into it. We're not sure where the very talented Anthony got the idea to recreate Yoshi's House from Super Mario World, but it looks absolutely smashing.Not only that, but the stage is also fun to play on. It seems simple enough, but the multiple platforms and tiers add some variety and depth. You don't have to take our word for it, though, since you can download it for yourselves here. (Instructions for playing on the stage are located after the break!)If you want to see one of your favorite fan-made stages (or one of your own creations!) featured here, be sure to email it as an attachment to smashsubs@nintendowiifanboy.com. From the hard, to the ridiculous, to the incredibly awesome, to the even more ridiculous, we want to see them all!Note: Sorry for the noticeable photoshopping -- unfortunately, the Brawl camera doesn't allow you to take big enough pictures. Image credit: Anthony's site.%Gallery-20570%
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/7-4/13
It looks like just the same old stuff for Wii sales in Japan last week. Wait a minute -- what's that, you say? Mario Kart Wii dominated Japan? Sure enough, sitting pretty at the top of the charts is Nintendo's famous kart racer, with almost half a million copies sold in its first week.Despite the Mario Kart bump, the Wii only took third place in hardware. Considering that Japanese gamers love them some handhelds, though, that's not too much of a surprise. One little observation that may floor you, on the other hand, is that Brawl was already overtaken by Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G in total sales.See it to believe it after the break.
Brawl Stage of the Week: Joystiq edition
Welcome to Nintendo Wii Fanboy's "Stage of the Week" feature, in which we showcase some of our favorite Smash Bros. Brawl stages. We'll have some themed weeks, some contest weeks, and some "whatever we damn well please" weeks to help you freshen up your Brawl experience.Before you ask, the answer is no -- we're not going to propose to you. We're in love with ourselves too much to do anything like that, which is why the stage we're showcasing this week is all about narcissism. If you look closely at the stage pictured above, you can see that it spells out the name of our mother site, Joystiq. Now, that's not to say we picked this stage because we'd be totally fired if we didn't (just play along, folks). Yet, despite our evil Joystiq overlords, we just love the idea of our favorite gaming blog (besides this one and this one) invading our brawls.Awesome name-in-the-stage stuff aside, though, the level is pretty basic. There are a few falling boxes and moving platforms, but nothing that you Smash Bros. pros couldn't handle. Still, we have to give credit to James Ransom-Wiley for creating this amazing display of self love. To try out the stage for yourself, just download it here. Once you've done that, you can check out our instructions (posted after the break) if you need help playing it on your Wii.Of course, this is just week one, and there will be many more stage features to come. We'd very much like to see some of your contributions and suggestions, so send them in to smashsubs@nintendowiifanboy.com. From the hard, to the ridiculous, to the incredibly awesome, to the even more ridiculous, make sure to show us your favorites (and your own creations)!%Gallery-20570%
Wii Warm Up: Mario Kart vs. Smash Bros.
It's time to choose between two beloved Nintendo franchises. So, tell us -- when it really comes down to it, which series do you love more? Mario Kart, or Smash Bros.? And don't forget to tell us why.Keep in mind, we're asking about the series as a whole, not one particular game!
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/31-4/6
Last week was once again all about Sony. Although Nintendo still had a good showing in the top thirty, there were only five Wii games in the software chart. Wii Fit continues to be the system's best-seller, but Super Smash Brothers Brawl and Deca Sports also made appearances in the top ten.As for hardware, the Wii once again trails behind the handhelds, but leads the pack in home consoles.Hardware: PSP: 120,964 Nintendo DS: 55,190 Wii: 44,618 PlayStation 3: 11,303 PlayStation 2: 10,423 Xbox 360: 1,452 More numbers can be seen after the break!
Big in Japan: DS coasts to fiscal 2007 victory
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Nintendo_dominates_fiscal_year_2007_in_Japan'; Been keeping up with sales figures from Japan recently? If so, you'll have noticed something unusual: for the first time in years, the DS isn't absolutely creaming the competition. Whether the PSP's resurgence will last is another debate for another post, but it hasn't been able to prevent Nintendo's handheld from taking top spot in fiscal year 2007.The DS won in style as well, selling 6.34 million units (that's one DS sold every five seconds, FYI) and comfortably beating the Wii (3.74m sales) into second place. In case you're wondering, that sound you can hear is Iwata, Reggie, and Shiggy clinking champagne glasses on board their yacht of solid gold.The gap between the Wii and PSP is considerably smaller, while the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 occupy fourth and fifth place respectively (mystifyingly, the PlayStation 2 wasn't counted). And it wasn't only hardware sales that Nintendo dominated -- the five best-selling games were all from the Nintendo stable, with Wii Fit, Mario Party DS, Wii Sports, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon doing the business. Make like Godzilla and stomp past the break for the charts.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/17-3/23
Goodbye, Family Ski and Winning Eleven: Play Maker 2008 -- we hardly knew ye. While Family Ski enjoyed a seven-week run in the top thirty, Wining Eleven (aka Pro Evolution Soccer) only lasted for four. It's no coincidence that they fell off this week, though, as fifteen spots were taken up by new releases.The big Wii dog in town was not Brawl (which ended up 7th), and not even Wii Fit (which ended up 5th), but new release Deca Sports. We can't help but wonder if the appearance of Deca Sports will have an effect on that other sports game for the Wii. Is there room for both on the charts? (We think so.) And will Deca Sports have the same longevity as Wii Sports? (Probably not, but we're sure the game will do well for itself.) It's also worth noting that Deca Sports had the third highest third-party sales debut for the Wiil, following only Dragon Quest: Swords and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles.
Wii Warm Up: Smash 'achievements'
Whether or not you've gotten the chance to play Smash Bros. Brawl, you've probably heard about the game's achievements challenges and rewards. This system is somewhat similar to earning achievements in Xbox games, although not quite. We really like how Brawl handles challenges, but what do you think? Do the challenges add any depth to the game? And, how do they stack up when compared to achievements on Xbox titles?Also, if you do own the game, have you used any golden hammers yet to unlock any rewards? If so, on what challenges?
